What is this ping/squeal/whistle noise?

[mdietz39]

Here is my story. I have a three cylinder compact diesel tractor I use for snow removal. It is adequate for the average weather we have here. Last Wednesday (Jan 21) we bought a new car and since the weather report said the chance of one inch of snowfall for the next week was only 10% I moved the tractor out from our two car garage and parked the new car in there. I would be preparing a spot for it in one of out outbuildings where I could place an electric heater under it if the weather got bad. Guess what. That night we got ELEVEN inches of snow.

I went to the tractor later on Thursday morning when the temperature had risen from around 20 F to 28 F and tried to start the tractor. After several tries and some coughing it did start. I waited another 15 seconds and started to move it. It went about 20 feet and died. I assumed all it had done was use up the fuel in the pump but the fuel lines from the tank were still clogged with fuel that had gelled. So I gave up. Today (Saturday) it finally got to around 45 degrees so I tried to start it again. No luck.

My description of it would be fire-fire-shrill whistle/squeal and then nothing. a couple of times it would to fire-fire-whistle-fire-fire-whistle and then stop.

My question is what could be the problem. My guesses (and I am no mechanic) are a plugged injector or a blown piston.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Mike
mdietz@wildblue.net

 

[whitepine2]

Check fuel filters sometimes fuel will make a wax after jelling and plug filter.Might want to add some 911 to your fuel and bleed the fuel lines of all air try this and see what goes.

 

[skyhook]

Yep, sounds like fuel is frozen.

 

[mdietz39]

Thank you both. A friend told me about the 911 which I have gotten. It is supposed to get to 50 degrees here today and I will try it again. Then I will try to figure out how to change the filter and clean the lines. There is a traveling mechanic in this area and I may have to call him but still some progress is being made.

Again thank you both
Mike

 

[Thomas]

Top of fuel tank w/fresh diesel also.

 

[jd4310man]

Diesel doesn't gel at the temps you quoted, but water does. I would say you need to thaw it out and drain the fuel filter, and bottom of the fuel tank. Water in the fuel will freeze up way quicker than the fuel will.

 

[whitepine2]

Something else to check if you have an oil bath air filter check to see if any water is in the bottom
if so it can freeze and restrict air intake. I have had this happen to me several times where you had tractor inside probably did not freeze but when put out it could have frozen.Water will be caused by
condensation and or find it's way from rain and snow into air - oil filter.

 

[mdietz39]

Thank you all. Here is the latest. The temperature is now 55 degrees. I tried to start it with a bit better results. Instead of only one fire-fire-whistle sequence it now does about three to five and then quits. But there is another difference.

When the whistle occurs there is a puff of white smoke from the exhaust but none when the fires occur. I hope that is just water that is being steamed out.

I will be breaking out the very poor user manual tomorrow to see if I can find the filters and look at them.

Any other comments are greatly appreciated.

Mike

 

[whitepine2]

Could be that you got water in fuel,just keep checking only do the simplest of checks as you go,it seems like air in fuel lines and or water. Water under compression would make steam and white smoke.

 

[skyhook]

Crank open an injector line and start it, you most likely have air in it now.
A quick shot of either will also help it to turn over.